Spinning machine yarn package tube exchanging device

ABSTRACT

A device for removing fully wound yarn packages including the associated tubes from the spindles of a spinning machine and replacing the full packages with new empty tubes comprises, a conveyor for feeding the empty tubes outwardly along the longitudinal length of a spindle rail which has a plurality of longitudinally spaced spindles thereon. The device includes a vertically arranged threaded spindle of a transport member, which is engaged with a nut portion of a carriage which moves vertically and which carries a rail which is shiftable horizontally. The rail has a plurality of first gripper elements which are alternately spaced with second gripper elements and which depend therefrom and which may be aligned first with the new tubes which are delivered outwardly by the conveyor to engage the first gripper elements with the tubes. The carriage is then elevated to position the new tubes over the spindles and to align the second gripper elements with the spindles. The carriage is subsequently moved downwardly to engage the second gripper elements with the full tubes on the spindles and to remove them by lifting them upwardly. The rail may be shifted horizontally to then align the new tubes vertically over the spindles which are now empty, and the carriage is again movable downwardly to position the new tubes in place. The fully wound tubes are then delivered back to the conveyor for transport away from the spindles.

United States Patent [191 Kawakami SPINNING MACHINE YARN PACKAGE TUBE EXQHANGING DEVICE Inventor: liajime Kawakami, Hyogo-ken,

Japan [73] Assignee: Nippon Keori Co., Ltd, Kobe,

[30] Foreign Application PriorityData May 10, 1971 Japan 46-31378 [52]\ US. Cl. 57/52 [51] lint. Cl. D011! 9/08, D0111 9/18 [58] Field of Search ..l 57/52, 53, 54

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,511,928 6/1950 Mansfield et a1. 57/34.5 2,962,856 12/1960 lngham, Jr. 57/52 3,059,405 10/1962 lngham, Jr. 57/52 3,059,406 10/1962 lngham, Jr... 57/52 3,367,098 2/1968 Schulz 57/52 3,370,411 2/1968 Schulz et a1. 57/52 3,398,519 8/1968 l-laussman 57/52 3,462,934 8/1969 Schulz et a1. 57/52 Primary ExaminerJohn W. Huckert Assistant Examiner-Charles Gorenstein Attorney, Agent, or FirmMcGlew and Tuttle; John J. McGlew m1 Menus Feb. 12, 1974 [57] ABSTRACT A device for removing fully wound yarn packages including the associated tubes from the spindles of a spinning machine and replacing the full packages with new empty tubes comprises, a conveyor for feeding the empty tubes outwardly along the longitudinal length of a spindle rail which has a plurality of longitudinally spaced spindles thereon. The device includes a vertically arranged threaded spindle of a transport member, which is engaged with a nut portion of a carriage which moves vertically and which carries a rail which is shiftable horizontally. The rail has a plurality of first gripper elements which are alternately spaced with second gripper elements and which depend therefrom and which may be aligned first with the new tubes which are delivered outwardly by the conveyor to engage the first gripper elements with the tubes. The carriage is then elevated to position the new tubes over the spindles and to align the second gripper elements with the spindles. The carriage is subsequently moved downwardly to engage the second gripper elements with the full tubes on the spindles and to remove them by lifting them upwardly. The rail may be shifted horizontally to then align the new tubes vertically over the spindles which are now empty, and the carriage is again movable downwardly to position the new tubes in place. The fully wound tubes are then delivered back to the conveyor for transport away from the spindles.

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SPINNING MACHINE YARN PACKAGE TUBE EXCHANGING DEVICE FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to textile machines, for example, spinning and twisting machines, in which tubes are used and, more particularly, to novel and improved donning and doffing apparatus by which full tubes having a yarn package thereon are simultaneously exchanged for empty tubes on which a yarn is then wound to form a package.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRIOR ART The conventional tube exchanging apparatus comprises grippers for gripping the tubes, gripper rails sup porting the grippers thereon, transporters for transporting the gripper rail together with the grippers along a predetermined path so as to cause the grippers to doff the full tubes from the spindles and don the empty tubes on the same, and conveyors having tube holders thereon for bringing in the empty tube from a tube supply device to a preselected place for the respective spindle and bringing out the full tube from the place to a take-up device. The tube holders are twice as many as the spindles, each engaging either the empty or the full tube. The number of grippers is the same as the number of spindles, each engaging both the full and the empty tube. Thus, during the tube exchanging process, the transporter is needed to move the gripper rail in turn as follows: I

i l. The rail starts from a position of rest to a first position in which the grippers are caused to doff the full tubes off the spindles. 2. The rail moves from said first position to a second position in which the grippers are caused to deposit the full tubes above first tube holders. 3. The rail moves up slightly from said second position, while the conveyor is moved half the distance between two adjacent spindles so as to align the gripper axially with the empty tube placed on the second tube holder. 4. The rail moves down again to said second position in which the grippers are caused to take the empty tubes from said second tube holders. 5. The rail moves up once again from said second position to said first position in which the grippers are caused to don the empty tubes on the spindles, then returning to the initial position of rest.

It is disadvantageous that the above-described operations should be done when the machine is stopped. The movement of the gripper rail between the first and second positions takes a substantial time, and it is impossible to increase the speed of operation. In order to promote production efficiency in textile machines, it is necessary to reduce the time of machine-stoppage for tube exchanging, but this cannot be effectuated by the conventional tube exchanging apparatus.

In the case of the spinning machine having spindle rails movable for tube exchanging, the conventional apparatus will sometimes require twice the number of reciprocations of the spindle rail during the tube exchaning process. Accordingly, the conventional apparatus is not always suitable for such spinning machines.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a tube exchanging apparatus for textile machines comprises a fixed frame, supporting means mounted on the fixed frame, a row of spindles mounted on the supporting means, conveyor means having a row of tube holders, at least one tube transporting means mounted on the fixed frame for transporting tubes along a predetermined path between the spindle and the tube holder, a carriage mounted on the tube transporting means and movable therewith, gripper means mounted on the carriage means having a row of first and second grippers, and mechanical of pneumatic drive means mounted on the tube transporting means for selectively moving said carriage means longitudinally thereof half the distance between two adjacent spindles. The first and second grippers are spaced from each other half the distance between two adjacent spindles longitudinally of the carriage, and the first grippers are operable to grip and release the tube. The second grippers of the same number as the spindles are operable to grip and release the tube independently of the first grippers. They may be stationary and made with a predetermined tube gripping force.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the tube holders are in number one more than said spindles on each side of the machine, so that said conveyor means can stay unmoved when the machine is stopped for tube exchanging.

In another embodiment of the invention, a tube exchanging apparatus comprises pneumatic means for selectively causing said first and second grippers to grip and release the tube, the pneumatic means comprising pressure conduit means and a source of fluid under pressure. The conduit means includes first and second pressure manifolds and connecting means therebetween and form the carriage means. The first and second grippers are mounted on the connecting means and each has an elongated inflatable bag member for endwise insertion into the tube. The connecting means has first and second passages formed therein. The first gripper bag member is internally connected with the first manifold through the first passage and the second gripper bag member is internally connected with the second manifold through the second passage. The first and second manifolds are internally communicated with a pressure source independently of each other, so that said first and second grippers can be operable to grip and release the tube independently of each other.

With a ring spinning machine which is provided with spindle rails which are movable between a first position for spinning, and a second position spaced outwardly from said first position, a tube exchanging apparatus according to the invention is operable automatically to replace the full tubes by the empty tubes in cooperation with a single reciprocation of said spindle rails between said first and second positions.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improved device for removing wound tubes from rotating spindles and replacing them with empty tubes of a textile spinning machine which comprises a conveyor for moving empty tubes outwardly to individual spindles which are arranged in longitudinal rows and for then transporting the empty tubes upwardly over the spindles, for removing the full tubes and replacing them with the new empty tubes and for delivering the full tubes away from the spindles.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved device for removing wound yarn tubes from the spindles of a spinning machine and replacing them with new unwound tubes which may be operated during at least a portion of the operation of the spinning machine operation so that the time for effecting tube changes is reduced considerably.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved device for exchanging yarn tubes of a spinning machine which is simple in design, rugged in construction and economical to manufacture.

The various features of novelty which characterize rections longitudinally of the machine by a conveyor 20 having a row of tube holders 21. When conveyor 20 stays in a position for tube exchanging, each tube holder 21 is situated under and in the middle of two adjacent spindles 12. The number of tube holders 21 is the invention are pointed out with particularity in the BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a ring spinning machine provided with a tube exchanging apparatus according to the invention, known parts not required for an understanding of the invention being omitted for the sake of clarity;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line IIII in FIG. 1, illustrating a gripper rail which is slidably supported by transporters;

FIG. 3 is a front view, partly in section, of the important parts of the gripper rail shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a gripper rail, in which first and second grippers are pneumatically operable to grip and release the tube independently of each other;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of another embodiment of a drive means for effecting longitudinal displacement of a gripper rail; and

FIGS. 6 through 12 are diagrammatic front elevations of the tube exchanging apparatus shown in FIG. 1, these figures illustrating successive operational positions of the gripper rail and grippers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, the ring spinning machine illustrated therein includes a head stock 10, a tail stock 11, and a plurality of spindles 12 arranged in a longitudinal row on a spindle rail 13. During a normal operation, full tubes 14 include a tube 15 and a package of yarn l6, and the package and the tube are located on spindles 12. In a preceding operation, the yarn 16 is drawn, twisted, and then wound on empty tubes 15 which are mounted on the spindles 12 so that yarn package 16 is formed on the tubes 15.

In FIG. 1, only the spindle rail 13 and spindles 12 on the front of the machine are illustrated, and a corresponding spindle rail and spindles are provided on the rear of the machine. While each row of spindles 12 cooperates with a tube exchanging apparatus, only the apparatus in the front of the machine is shown in FIG. 1, and it will be understood that a corresponding apparatus, embodying the invention, cooperates with the spindles at the rear of the machine. The tube exchanging apparatus simultaneously exchanges all full tubes 14, on the spindles, for empty tubes 15. This requires delivery of empty tubes and removal of full tubes in dione more than that of the spindles 12 on each side of the machine.

During longitudinal movement of conveyor 20 in one direction, empty tubes were placed on tube holders 21 by a tube supply device (not shown). When the direction of movement of conveyor 20 is reversed, the full tubes on the tube holders move to a receiving station, in which the full tubes are detached from the tube holders and dropped into a container by a take-up device (not shown).

The exchange of the full and empty tubes on spindles 12 is effected by the tube exchanging apparatus which includes a plurality of tube transporters 30 spaced apart along spindle rail 13 and conveyor 20. Each tube transporter 30 has a vertical screw shaft 31 which is rotated, through a bevel gearing assembly 32, by a common driving shaft 33.

The bevel gearing assemblies, together with the vertical screw shafts, are rotated simultaneously and outwardly to a predetermined extent about the driving shaft 33 by rotating means (not shown).

A carriage 34 is mounted on screw shaft 31, and threadedly engaged therewith. Carriage 34 is reciprocable along the vertical shaft 31 in accordance with rotation thereof in respective opposite directions, and is also swingable with the vertical shaft about driving shaft 33. Carriages 34 are connected with each other longitudinally thereof through a top plate 35.

Each carriage 34 supports an elongated gripper rail 40 which is provided with a row of alternate grippers 41 and 42, the latter being shown in one empty tube partially broken away for the purpose of clearer illustration. Empty tubes 15 are gripped with every second gripper 42, while grippers 41 are empty for engagement with full tubes 14. The total number of grippers 41 and 42 is twice that of spindles 12 on the spindle rail, and the distance between two adjacent grippers 41 and 42 is half the distance between two adjacent spindles, as seen in FIG. 1.

Carriage 34 or gripper rail 40 can be located, in any position required for tube exchanging, by the transporters 30 which include the bevel gearing assemblies for angular movement of the carriage or the rail about the driving shaft 33 and vertical movement of the shaft 31. The device can also be used in combination with the machine of the type having spindle rails movable between the initial position for spinning and the outward position for tube exchanging in which the gripper rail is reciprocated in a single vertical direction.

On each of the opposite sides of the machine, there is mounted a respective pneumatic pressureresponsive actuator 50, whose piston rod 51 is secured to a gripper rail 40 and whose fixed cylinder 52 is secured to top plate 35. The piston rod is displaceable between opposite end positions spaced apart by the same distance as the two adjacent grippers 41 and 42. The gripper rail 40 is reversibly moved in accordance with reversal of the piston rod from an end position, in which grippers 41 are axially aligned with spindles 12, to the opposite end position, in which grippers 42 are axially aligned with the spindles.

As best seen in FIG. 2, gripper rail 40 passes through the channel portion formed in each carriage 34 at the rear thereof. The rail is slidably supported on two spaced apart rollers 36, 36' mounted on opposite side walls of a channel recess 34" of carriage 34 and guided by guide portions 37 formed on the side walls of the channel.

Gripper rail 40 comprises a pressure manifold 43 (FIG. 3) and a bottom rail 44, both being fastened tightly together with a plurality of clamp sleeves 56, as seen in FIG. 3. The pressure manifold is internally communicated with a pressure source including control means (not shown).

First grippers 41 are of the type which are pneumatically operable to grip and release the tubes, and which are of conventional construction of an inflatable bag.

First and second grippers 41 and 42 are mounted on and along the rail and disposed spaced from each other half the distance between two adjacent spindles. Both grippers are shaped to permit their endwise insertion into the tube, but second gripper 42, which is of solid construction, as seen in FIG. 3, is quite different from first gripper 41. Second gripper 42 has two through bores 46 therein, in which there is a compressible coil spring 47 with a cap 48 attached to each end thereof. When the gripper 42 is inserted into the tube, the spring is so compressed that the caps are caused in frictional contact with the inside wall of the tube to grip the tube.

The spring 47 is arranged in a manner that the frictional force for gripping an empty tube is less than the axial resistance of the spindle against the empty tube doffing therefrom. It is noted that the axial resistance of the tube holder against the tube doffing therefrom is too small to be taken account of.

FIG. 4 illustrates a modified construction of gripper rail '40, in which first and second grippers can be controlled to grip and release the tube independently of each other. The rail comprises first and second manifolds 43a and 43b facing towards each other and an intermediate rail 60 therebetween. There is a sealing member 62 between the intermediate rail and the respective manifold for air-tight connection therebetween. The intermediate rail has a plurality of deep holes or cavities 61 formed therein of a number corresponding to the grippers or twice as many asthe spindles. 1

A row of second side bores comprising coaxial openings 63, 64, and 65 are formed in the sealing member 62, the rail 60, and one of the manifolds respectively.

Therefore, every second deep hole 61 is connected to second manifold 43b theough one of the side openings 63, 64 and 65. On the side of first manifold 43a, there is a corresponding row of first side bores, as seen in phantom lines in FIG. 4, which are spaced from second bores half the distance between two adjacent spindles. Thus, each first deep hole 61 is communicated to first manifold 43a through first side bores.

First and second grippers 41' and 42', each comprising an inflatable elongated bag member of elastomeric material, are air-tightly threaded in the respective first Y and second deep holes 61. First and second manifolds are individually communicated to a pressure source, (not shown) through a control device (not shown), so that first and second grippers are operable to grip and release the tube independently of each other.

Referring to FIG. 5, a rail is displaced longitudinally through a gearing transmission 70, by an electric motor 71 mounted on the end portion 72 of the top plate 35". The revolution of the motor is transmitted through the transmission to a horizontal screw shaft 73 which threadedly engages a nut block 74 secured to the bottom rail 44". Thus, the gripper rail 40" is reversibly moved, by the reversal of the motor, from a first location, in which first grippers doff tubes off spindles 12, to a second location spaced from said first location longitudinally half the distance between two spindles, in which second grippers don empty tubes on said spindles.

The tube exchanging process in the machine of FIGS. 1 to 3, is advantageously carried out as schematically indicated in FIGS. 6 through 12. In the case of the machine with fixed spindle rails 13, it is still noted that during the tubeexchanging process, rings should be lowered below the bottom of the tube and that balloon separators and balloon control-rings, if provided, should also be lowered below the tube or turned off, so as to allow the tube to be suspended from the gripper rail in the middle of two adjacent spindles.

The operation of the device is as follows:

In the position shown in FIG. 6, gripper rail 40 is in a rest position, in which first grippers 41 are axially aligned with spindles 12 carrying full tubes 14 and second grippers 42 are above empty tubes 15 placed on tube holders 21.

Gripper rail 40 is lowered to a position shown in FIG. 7, in which second grippers 42 take the empty tubes 15, and then raised to a position higher than the full tubes, as shown in FIG. 8. Suitable means actuator are provided to shift the rail 40 and/or the spindle rail 13 laterally relative to each other to permit movement of the rail above the spindles l2, and to thereafter permit vertical re-alignment for doffing and tube replacement.

Then, gripper rail 40 is moved with its carriage 34 downwardly to cause first grippers 41 to engage into remove the full tubes 14, and full tubes from spindles 12, as shown in FIG. 9.

The gripper rail 40 is moved from an initial position to a second position spaced longitudinally therefrom by half the distance between the spindles, as shown in FIG. 10, in which the first grippers 41 carrying the full tubes 14 are axially aligned with tube holders 21 and second grippers 42 are axially aligned with the spindles 12, gripper rail 40 is again reciprocated to cause second grippers 42 to don the empty tubes 15 on spindles 12, as seen in FIG. 11.

Thereafter, gripper rail 40 is lowered to cause first grippers 41 to place the full tubes 14 on the tube holders 21 as shown in FIG. 12, and then the gripper rail is slightly raised and moved longitudinally thereof to the initial rest position shown in FIG. 6.

The tube holders 21 on the conveyor 20 are in number one more than the spindles 12 on each side of the machine, so that it is not necessary to move the conveyor during the tube exchanging process. There is always one empty tube holder 21 at an alternative end, whenever the tubes are placed thereon.

The conveyor 20 takes the full tubes placed on the tube holders into supply and take-up devices, in which the full tube is detached from the tube holder and new empty tube is placed on the tube holder, and then the conveyor brings the new empty tube in the respective position for each spindle 12.

According to the apparatus of the invention, as described above, both the operations of taking full tubes from grippers to tube holders and of taking empty tubes from tube holders to grippers may be done during machine spinning operation. Therefore, the time in which the machine is stopped for tube exchanging is shortened as compared with the time required by the conventional apparatus.

It will be appreciated that the apparatus of the invention may be advantageously employed in the spinning machine which comprises spindle rails 13 which are movable from an initial position during spinning to an outward position for tube exchanging. During the tube exchanging process, the spindle rail is shifted laterally between an initial operating position and an outward position to permit the gripper rail to move thereby for tube exchanging. An example of a spinning machine having movable spindle rails and means for moving the spindle rail is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,511,928.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

l. A tube exchanging device for a textile machine having a spindle rail with a plurality of longitudinally spaced spindles adapted to contain tubes to be wound with yarn, comprising a conveyor having a plurality of equally spaced tube holders thereon movable parallel to the spindle rail in one direction for delivery of empty tubes to the spindles and in an opposite direction for the return of full tubes from the spindle, a transport device alongside said conveyor including a carriage, carriage mounting means for moving said carriage vertically between a first position associated with said conveyor, 21 second position associated with the spindle rail, and a third position above said spindle rail; a gripper rail movably mounted on said carriage for horizontal back and forth movement, a plurality of evenly spaced and alternately arranged first and second grippers depending from said gripper rail, said first grippers being engageable with empty tubes which are carried on said tube holders when said carriage is moved downwardly to said first position, said carriage being movable upwardly to said third position, means for shifting said gripper rail horizontally to align said second grippers with the spindles, said carriage being movable downwardly to engage said second grippers with the full tubes to doff them from said spindles, said carriage being movable upwardly to said third position and said gripping rail being shiftable once again horizontally to align said first grippers with the tubes being carried thereby over said spindles, said carriage being movable downwardly to said second position for depositing said empty tubes on said spindles and again to said first position for depositing the full tubes onto said tube holders, said means for moving said gripper rail horizontally comprising an actuator including a fluid pressure cylinder and a piston movable in said cylinder connected to said gripper rail.

2. A tube exchanging device for a textile machine, according to claim 1, wherein said carriage mounting means includes a substantially vertically extending rotatable screw, said carriage having a nut engageable with said screw and being advanceable therealong upwardly and downwardly upon rotation of said screw, said screw being adapted to be connected to means for rotating said screw.

3. A tube exchanging device for a textile machine, according to claim 1, wherein said first grippers include at least one projection on the periphery of said grippers for frictionally engaging said grippers with the tubes.

4. A tube exchanging device for a textile machine, according to claim 3, including spring means for biasing said projection outwardly into engagement with the tubes.

5. A tube exchanging device for a textile machine, according to claim 1 wherein said first gripper and said second gripper includes an expandable member, and means for applying fluid pressure to said expandable member to cause it to expand into engagement with a tube. 

1. A tube exchanging device for a textile machine having a spindle rail with a plurality of longitudinally spaced spindles adapted to contain tubes to be wound with yarn, comprising a conveyor having a plurality of equally spaced tube holders thereon movable parallel to the spindle rail in one direction for delivery of empty tubes to the spindles and in an opposite direction for the return of full tubes from the spindle, a transport device alongside said conveyor including a carriage, carriage mounting means for moving said carriage vertically betweEn a first position associated with said conveyor, a second position associated with the spindle rail, and a third position above said spindle rail; a gripper rail movably mounted on said carriage for horizontal back and forth movement, a plurality of evenly spaced and alternately arranged first and second grippers depending from said gripper rail, said first grippers being engageable with empty tubes which are carried on said tube holders when said carriage is moved downwardly to said first position, said carriage being movable upwardly to said third position, means for shifting said gripper rail horizontally to align said second grippers with the spindles, said carriage being movable downwardly to engage said second grippers with the full tubes to doff them from said spindles, said carriage being movable upwardly to said third position and said gripping rail being shiftable once again horizontally to align said first grippers with the tubes being carried thereby over said spindles, said carriage being movable downwardly to said second position for depositing said empty tubes on said spindles and again to said first position for depositing the full tubes onto said tube holders, said means for moving said gripper rail horizontally comprising an actuator including a fluid pressure cylinder and a piston movable in said cylinder connected to said gripper rail.
 2. A tube exchanging device for a textile machine, according to claim 1, wherein said carriage mounting means includes a substantially vertically extending rotatable screw, said carriage having a nut engageable with said screw and being advanceable therealong upwardly and downwardly upon rotation of said screw, said screw being adapted to be connected to means for rotating said screw.
 3. A tube exchanging device for a textile machine, according to claim 1, wherein said first grippers include at least one projection on the periphery of said grippers for frictionally engaging said grippers with the tubes.
 4. A tube exchanging device for a textile machine, according to claim 3, including spring means for biasing said projection outwardly into engagement with the tubes.
 5. A tube exchanging device for a textile machine, according to claim 1 wherein said first gripper and said second gripper includes an expandable member, and means for applying fluid pressure to said expandable member to cause it to expand into engagement with a tube. 